The next stage in our environmental rehabilitation project started yesterday with a survey to assess the bio-condition of the area and two of the key habitat types; Eucalypt and Melaleuca forests. The area behind Silcock street is predominantly Melaleuca forest, but scattered amongst these wetlands are a number of Eucalypt trees including swamp mahogany and blue gums. They are important trees for sustaining koalas.
In the middle of the park area is a large raised area of sandy soil. Some local residents believe it was an old sand dune area. This area contains a significant number of Eucalypt species and although there is a heavy weed infestation in the area it has the potential to support more of our local koalas. The aim of this project is to clear the area of weeds, reduce fire hazard and increase the number of Eucalypt trees within the area.
The plan is for REF Inc and the Moreton Bay Regional Council to start a bushcare program in the area and one of the first tasks will be to improve the quality of any Eucalypt habitat within the park area. In order to measure the impact of any rehabilitation programs it is important to obtain baseline data so we can see over time what impacts our work has on the area.
With the support of the Moreton Bay Regional Council we have commenced the survey using expertise from Conservation Volunteers Australia and WetlandCare Australia. The survey methods we used were provided by the Queensland Herbarium and we managed to complete two surveys yesterday (melaleuca and Eucalypt). The process included setting up of transects, 1 hectare plots and the collection of data including plant coverage, ground debris, species richness and the level of weed infestation. This information will allow us to determine the overall health of the area and highlight areas we can get to work on.
This work is all about giving local koalas a better chance of surviving at this end of the peninsula. A healthy koala habitat also means a healthy habitat for other animals including the 60 species of woodland birds we have identified living in the area.
In the middle of the park area is a large raised area of sandy soil. Some local residents believe it was an old sand dune area. This area contains a significant number of Eucalypt species and although there is a heavy weed infestation in the area it has the potential to support more of our local koalas. The aim of this project is to clear the area of weeds, reduce fire hazard and increase the number of Eucalypt trees within the area.
The plan is for REF Inc and the Moreton Bay Regional Council to start a bushcare program in the area and one of the first tasks will be to improve the quality of any Eucalypt habitat within the park area. In order to measure the impact of any rehabilitation programs it is important to obtain baseline data so we can see over time what impacts our work has on the area.
With the support of the Moreton Bay Regional Council we have commenced the survey using expertise from Conservation Volunteers Australia and WetlandCare Australia. The survey methods we used were provided by the Queensland Herbarium and we managed to complete two surveys yesterday (melaleuca and Eucalypt). The process included setting up of transects, 1 hectare plots and the collection of data including plant coverage, ground debris, species richness and the level of weed infestation. This information will allow us to determine the overall health of the area and highlight areas we can get to work on.
This work is all about giving local koalas a better chance of surviving at this end of the peninsula. A healthy koala habitat also means a healthy habitat for other animals including the 60 species of woodland birds we have identified living in the area.
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